Star-Crossed: Squared
by ToxicCosmos
Summary: Cey's mission is complete. But the Xindi are still out there. Not willing to abandon the Enterprise on their mission to save the human race, she returns to aid them. / Takes place during S3E21 (spoilers). Sequel to my story "Star-Crossed" but stands well on its own imo.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Cey stared at the open panel before her. She'd been working to get this section of the deck online for nearly an hour now. It was tedious work, but it needed to be done. She estimated another twenty minutes before she was finished here. Then on to the next project.

She sighed. What had she gotten herself into?

"You should have just stayed away," she muttered to herself.

But how could she have? She'd thought a lot about Enterprise while she and Sor had gone and put Rolik to rest. She had thought about them out in the Expanse, risking their lives to stop the weapon - the only ones between the Xindi and Earth.

Except they weren't the only ones, were they? *She* was out here as well and she had just as much invested in their success as they did.

So she decided to find them again and to help in any way she could - as soon as she and Sor had rendezvoused with the Andorians.

/

Shran hadn't been pleased when they'd finally reached them - and he'd let her know it.

"You wouldn't be taking out your failures on me now, would you, Commander?" She had asked. She knew they'd failed in securing the weapon for themselves.

Now, Andorians were rather easy to deal with once you understood them. And understood them she did. They tended to respect those who stood their ground, those who were combative without being disrespectful. She was currently toeing the line.

His antennae moved up and outward. He hadn't liked her comment.

"You want to talk about failings?" He asked darkly, closing the distance between them. "Why don't we talk about how you're late with this now *useless* intel," he slammed the disk she'd given him on his desk, "and how you got one of my best men killed!"

Her eyes narrowed. "That wasn't my fault," she said, emphasizing each word as she spoke, "you can blame that on the Xindi."

She and Thelano had been good friends. She would have given her life to save his. For him to insinuate otherwise made her blood boil.

She found it difficult to keep the anger from her voice. "He gave his life to save ours. Don't you *dare* think I take that lightly."

Shran regarded her for a long moment before he straightened himself. "Good," he said.

There was no hint of levity to his tone. She knew he hadn't forgiven her.

She let out a silent, angry breath to calm herself.

Shran walked behind his desk and picked up a carafe of Andorian Ale.

"At least the Xindi haven't made you soft," he remarked, uprighting two small glasses.

"My people are resilient," she said.

It was an understatement. And she was making a point. It would take much more than anger-laden voices and unvoiced threats to unnerve her.

Shran grunted as he poured the first glass. "As are mine." He took a breath, pausing before pouring the second. "I think that's why we get along so well, you and I." He gave her a dark, mocking look.

She was able to resist the urge to roll her eyes, though she did let out a disapproving breath. "If by get along you mean are constantly at each other's throats, then yes, I suppose that's true."

The look on his face was that of mild amusement.

"Is there a difference?" He asked, handing her the glass.

She forced a bitter laugh. "I suppose not."

"A toast then." He lifted his glass. "To getting along."

/

After her short stay, she had continued on alone. Shran had, eager to be rid of her, given her Enterprise's last known heading.

Sor hadn't much liked the thought of her heading out on her own, but his first and only duty was to the Imperial Guard.

It hadn't been too difficult following the trail from there. The stealth capabilities of her ship coupled with the use of the subspace corridors made the task significantly easier than it otherwise would have been.

It had taken her some time to catch up, but intercepted messages and transmissions from various Xindi ships had kept her on course.

When she finally found Enterprise, they were captainless and nearly dead in the water.

Now they had Xindi allies and were within arm's reach of their goal. All they needed was a working ship.

Getting things back into basic working order had proven difficult. In the process, she had sacrificed parts of her own ship - those that were compatible with Enterprise's systems, anyhow.

That hadn't included much, but it had been enough to ensure her ship wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

She looked down at the hyperspanner in her hand and sighed. She needed to get back to work.

/

Nearly an hour and another repair passed uninterrupted.

"Cey!" Came an excited voice a ways off to her right.

She looked up to see Ensign Mayweather headed towards her, a large grin on his face.

"Did you hear?" He asked when he was closer.

She smiled inwardly. Travis was an excitable individual. She was tempted to attribute it to his young age, but she knew he'd seen and experienced enough for that not to be the case. It simply was who he was. She found it endearing.

"Hear what?" She asked, turning back to the panel. She was nearly done with her task.

"About the other Enterprise!" He said.

She half-smiled. The other ship was the reason she was the only one left working on this deck. Most had taken an early lunch to go find out what had become of their other, future, selves.

"Yes, I've heard," she muttered, moving closer to the coupling that was currently giving her trouble.

He leaned against the wall on the other side of the panel and tilted his head towards her.

"Isn't it amazing?" He continued. "And they're letting us take a look at our personal records. We can see if we ever got married, had kids, grandkids..." He paused, expectant. "So do you want to come with me?" He asked.

She halted her work for a moment and turned to him.

Normally she'd have found the friendliness strange, but this was Travis. When she had returned to the Enterprise, he'd been the only one who didn't seem to have misgivings. In fact, he'd greeted her as if they were old friends.

She knew it was likely because she had saved his life, but a part of her appreciated it all the same.

"Go where?" She asked.

"To have a look at their records, of course."

She let out a laugh of a breath and turned back to her work.

"Oh, come on," he pleaded. "Aren't you curious?"

She spared him another glance and grinned. "I would be if there were anything for me to see in those records."

"There might be." His smile was wide and halfway convincing.

She tilted her head towards him and raised a brow. "You're charming, Travis," she conceded. "But you and I both know that if we were to get stuck in the past, I wouldn't stick around."

He shrugged but didn't lose the grin. "You never know."

She gave him a look that said otherwise.

He laughed and nodded. "Ok. Ok. Well, I'm headed to the mess hall with Hoshi afterward if you feel like joining us." He pushed himself off the wall and raised his hands and shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. "You know, in case you'd like to create a reason to stick around."

She motioned to the still open panel before her. "I've been at this all day. All I want is a shower and a nap."


	2. Chapter 2

****Chapter 2: Two****

Malcolm maneuvered his way through the mess hall. It had been nearly a week since the Reptilian attack that had crippled them, and there were still sections of roof and broken furniture littering the floors. At least Chef had his kitchen working again. He supposed that was all that mattered.

On the other side of the room, he spotted Travis and Hoshi who seemed to be having a rather animated discussion. He made his way towards them. He'd spent the last twelve hours focused on repairs. He figured he could use a little company.

"This spot taken?" He asked when he reached them.

"Please," Hoshi offered.

He nodded and set his tray down.

"So lieutenant," Hoshi began after he'd taken a seat. She held a cup of coffee close to her lips. "Who did you end up with?" She asked, taking a moment to take a sip. "On the other Enterprise. Did you get married? Have kids?"

His brows raised in mild surprise. Truthfully, he'd been so wrapped up in his work that he'd forgotten to check.

"I don't know," he said simply, taking a bite of his food.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Travis asked - a disbelieving look on his face. "Have you not looked?"

He shrugged.

"I've been busy with repairs," he said, "I'll check later."

"How are you not just dying to know whether or not you had kids," Hoshi said. "You could have family on the other ship."

Malcolm shrugged again. He *was* curious.

He was also tired.

"The records aren't going anywhere," he said. There were more important things that needed to be done.

When their unbelieving looks didn't subside, he sighed. "Maybe before my next shift."

/

They sat in comfortable silence for some minutes more before an unfamiliar voice sounded from beside them.

"Excuse me."

They turned their attention to a man standing at the edge of their table.

It took a moment for Malcolm to recognize him. He was one of the people who had accompanied Lorian onto the ship when they'd first arrived.

"Ah, you're the security officer from the other Enterprise, right?" He asked.

The man smiled and nodded. "Yes."

Malcolm stood and motioned towards Hoshi and Travis.

"Our Comms officer and our Helmsman…" he began.

"Hoshi," she introduced herself.

"Travis. Hello."

The security officer offered his hand to them in turn. "Liam. Hello," he replied.

Then he turned to Malcolm, smile still on his face and hand extended.

Malcolm found the gesture a bit odd, but they hadn't been properly introduced before. He took the man's hand and shook it.

"Liam Reed," the man said pointedly.

Malcolm stood there, stunned. It took him a moment to remember to pull back his hand from the handshake.

"Reed?" He asked, a small smile unwittingly creeping onto his face. He sat himself back down.

Liam nodded. "Yes."

Travis' smile was wide.

"Seems you no longer need to worry about putting in that request for your service record, Lieutenant," Hoshi laughed happily.

Malcolm nodded his head. He wasn't sure what to say, except,

"Please, have a seat." He motioned to the empty chair beside him.

As Liam sat, Malcolm couldn't help but take a more proper look at him.

The man was tall - and decidedly young despite what his angular facial features seemed to suggest. A good ten years younger than himself, he ventured. That made him what? A grandson? No, a great-grandson. The thought had him shaking his head in awe. He had a great-grandson.

After a moment he turned back to Liam. The shape of his nose, the overall structure of his face, his black hair, and green eyes. Definitely a Reed.

"But you didn't say anything earlier," Malcolm wondered aloud.

Liam nodded. "Yes, I didn't think it was appropriate at the time."

Malcolm understood. There had been more important matters to discuss.

"So who was the lucky lady?" Hoshi asked, eying him with a teasing grin.

Malcolm couldn't help but grin in turn.

Liam cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. It was an obvious nervous gesture, although it came off as charming.

"I suppose I should've expected this question…" Liam began with a laugh.

"Uh oh," Travis teased. "That doesn't sound good."

They laughed. Liam's was nervous.

"I just remember mom saying you two didn't really get along at first," he explained.

Malcolm tried to figure out what that meant. Someone he didn't like? He couldn't imagine…

He groaned. "Oh, don't tell me she's a MACO."

"Hey, now!" Travis laughed. "*I* married a MACO."

Malcolm raised his hands defensively, good-natured grin on his face. "No offense."

"Go on, just tell us her name," Hoshi urged cheerfully while Travis laughed and shook his head.

"Cey Varo," Liam said simply.

Malcolm's grin faltered and his eyes darted back to Liam.

The table grew quiet around him. He could feel Hoshi's and Travis' eyes on him.

"I like Cey," Travis said after a few moments. His tone was defensive.

Malcolm didn't look at him. He knew the two of them were friends and it made him feel guilty.

/

He hadn't spoken to Varo since she had first returned to the Enterprise - and that conversation hadn't exactly gone well…

While the Captain had been gone, T'Pol had been in charge. Reluctantly, she had allowed Varo to stay, knowing that if they were going to get the ship up and running in a timely manner, they were going to need all the help they could get.

At T'Pol's request, he had shown her to her quarters. The walk had been markedly different from the last time he'd accompanied her down a hall. They hadn't spoken much, but it hadn't been uncomfortable. In fact, there hadn't been any tension coming from her. She had seemed oddly at ease.

"Same quarters as last time?" She asked when they were nearly there.

He nodded. "They're still empty."

When they arrived, she set her bag down on the bunk and took a pensive look around. Her eyes wandered from the bunk to the window before settling on the spot on the floor where he'd found her in a drunken state the last time she was on board.

She frowned.

"Not exactly the best memories here," she muttered.

Her oddly vulnerable statement unsettled him.

"If you'd like, I could see if I can find another room," he offered, glancing at the door.

She turned to him, surprise and what seemed to be slight embarrassment on her face. Perhaps she hadn't actually meant to say that out loud.

"Oh, no. No. It's fine," she insisted.

She took a breath.

"I should just report to Commander Tucker."

Reed glanced at his watch and shook his head.

"He's likely just begun his lunch break." He paused and looked up. "If you're hungry, you should probably grab something as well. Or take a nap. Gather some energy for what's bound to be a long shift," he suggested. "There will be plenty to do."

He was standing in the doorway now.

She was staring at the cot, seemingly entertaining the idea of sleep.

"Right then. I'll be off," he said. "You can head to engineering in two hours."

He turned to leave.

"Would you like to join me?" He heard her ask.

The question caught him off-guard. He turned back to her.

"Pardon?"

She raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Would you like to join me for lunch?" She clarified. "You know, food. I assume you're due for a lunch break as well?"

He was quiet for a long moment. Then he realized what she was doing. She was trying to befriend him. It made him uncomfortable.

He remembered the last conversation they had had. It had ended rather amicably even though it hadn't started out that way. That was likely why she felt comfortable asking him to lunch now. But he couldn't forget what she had done. If he closed his eyes, he could still see the bodies and blood. Worse yet, he could remember the look on her face as well. Even now when he looked at her…

Cold, calculating eyes and satisfied grin faded into the hesitant look she was currently expressing. He shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Varo," he finally replied.

She seemed surprised for a moment, then another look crossed her face. Was it disappointment? He wasn't sure.

She broke eye contact with him and briefly bit at her lip.

"Oh," she said, nodding. "Right." She barely spared him a glance, instead opting to unzip her bag and pull out some of her things. "I should probably get some rest anyway."

He hesitated for a moment, thinking he should say something.

Ultimately, he'd decided against it. Instead, he'd turned and left without so much as a goodbye.

/

He could hear the voices of the others as if through a fog as his mind continued to wander.

He still felt guilty. He didn't consider himself a prideful man, but he couldn't bring himself to apologize to her. In fact, he'd done his best to avoid her. Not that it had been difficult to do. Most of the crew were too busy with repairs to spend much time fraternizing.

"She was my mother," he heard.

Some part of him figured he'd only have to worry about it for a few weeks more. Then she'd move on. It seemed to be her way.

He looked up at Liam.

Now he was being told that not only had she stayed, but he'd eventually married her as well.

"Did you know she saved my life?" He heard Travis say.

Malcolm cocked his head unwittingly to the side, a question forming vaguely in his mind although he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Reluctantly, he turned his attention back to the group.

Liam was nodding and chuckling. "Yes. You've told me quite a few times, unc-." Liam paused, clearing his throat.

"What was that?" Travis asked genuinely.

Hoshi grinned slightly. "Were you going to say 'uncle'?"

Liam laughed but nodded.

Malcolm was confused.

Travis' smile was wide at this. "Uncle Travis," he said, trying it on for size. After a few moments, he was nodding. "I like that."

Then Malcolm remembered. He'd heard him say she was his mother. Had he meant Varo?

"And I called you Shalma," Liam was saying to Hoshi. "It means 'spirit mother' in our language." He paused, smiling at them both. "You and Travis were my godparents."

But that would mean -

Malcolm's eyes widened.

Hoshi opened her mouth to say something.

"You're my son?" Malcolm interrupted.

Liam turned to him. "Yes," he said. "I wasn't really sure how to bring it up." He seemed to regard him for a moment. "Maybe I should have been more delicate."

Malcolm couldn't help but laugh. He didn't know how else to respond.


	3. Chapter 3

****Chapter 3: Three****

"It just occurs to me that you likely knew everyone that's currently on this ship," Malcolm noted as they passed yet another of his shipmates.

Liam had convinced him to go for a walk after his revelation in the mess hall. Getting away from the prying eyes of Hoshi and Travis had been a good call. It had allowed him to clear his head some.

Liam nodded. "Yes, I did," he said. He was quiet for a moment as a melancholic look crossed his face. "Being here is rather bittersweet."

"Oh, right-" He realized Liam had outlived most of them. "Of course. I'm sorry," he offered.

"It's alright," Liam replied without looking at him.

Malcolm could tell he was lost in thought.

After a few moments, Liam turned to him with a small smile. "T'Pol is still around."

Malcolm's brows raised in mild surprise. He nodded. "That's right. Vulcans *do* have a rather long lifespan."

It struck him how surreal this situation was. He was talking to his son whom he'd yet to have, and who was likely near a hundred years old himself. And he knew Liam wasn't the only one.

"I suppose you and Lorian grew up together," he said. Lorian was T'Pol and Commander Tucker's son and Captain of the other Enterprise.

"Yes, we did," Liam laughed. "You wouldn't believe the trouble we got into." He glanced at him with a smile and winked.

Malcolm laughed. "If you're anything like your old man, I think I can very well imagine," he said. He'd been quite the handful as a boy - for a while at least. His father had been rather swift in straightening him out.

Liam was still smiling. "I can still remember the lectures you'd give me."

Malcolm grimaced at the memory of his father's lectures. He hoped he hadn't been that hard on Liam.

"And here I thought Vulcan children were impossibly well-behaved," Malcolm deflected - then relented. "Well, I suppose he is half *human*."

Liam was nodding. "Yes. Although, I have to admit, *I* was probably the one that was the bad influence," he laughed, "being the older one and all." He shrugged, grin still plastered on his face.

Malcolm's brows furrowed. "You're older than Lorian?" He asked. It was hard to imagine. He looked much younger.

Liam nodded. "Yes. Dunmer have an even longer lifespan than that of Vulcans," he said.

Malcolm was dumbstruck. It was hard to imagine. "And how long is that?"

Liam shrugged. "It varies," he said. "Mother always said it depends greatly on one's magical ability." He thought for a moment. "The oldest known Dunmer lived to be over a thousand years old."

Malcolm's mouth fell open slightly.

"Although," Liam continued, "apparently he was *easily* the most powerful mage ever to have lived."

"One thousand years," Malcolm muttered. Mages. Magic. He had forgotten just how alien she truly was.

"Makes my hundred and twenty-four seem like nothing, doesn't it?" Liam laughed.

One hundred twenty-four? The number pulled him from his thoughts. He did the math in his head and nearly stopped walking.

"Wait-," he stammered, "are you saying we had you three years after we were stranded?"

Liam looked back at him, a look of momentary confusion crossing his face. "Yes…" he muttered, unsure, "I suppose so."

Now he *had* stopped walking. Three years from now.

He looked up at Liam who hadn't yet realized he was no longer beside him.

Already he cared for this man. His son. Maybe the connection between father and son could transcend realities. Maybe it was simply his strong sense of duty. In any case, he knew he'd do anything for him.

Then he thought of Varo.

He tried to imagine loving her, falling in love with her, or even just being with her long enough to have a child.

But when he tried, all he could see was her frozen eyes staring back at him. Cold. Unsettling… And yet - they were somehow mesmerizing, oddly serene. But even as he admitted it to himself, her mouth became a sneer in his mind and her eyes turned red and spilled over with blood.

"Dad?" He heard.

How could he ever love someone like that?

"Dad."

He refocused to find Liam standing before him, a worried look on his face.

"Were you happy?" He asked without thinking. "Were we?"

It seemed to take Liam a moment to figure out what he meant.

"Yes," he said with earnestness. "I had a *very* happy childhood." His tone seemed sincere. "I was lucky to have parents like you."

He paused and took a breath. "To answer your other question: I think so. At least, I never had an inkling otherwise."

Malcolm nodded but noted with worry that he hadn't once used the word 'love' to describe their relationship. Maybe some things were better left alone.

/

Malcolm followed Liam around another corner.

Deck 4 was plastered on a wall.

"Wait a minute," he said. "Where are we going?" He asked although he already knew the answer.

Liam's smile was only somewhat apologetic.

He shook his head and sighed. They were headed towards Varo's quarters.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Four**

There was a buzz at the door.

Cey let out a withheld breath and opened her eyes. She felt calm re-centered. Sleep had proven elusive, but meditation had more than made up for it. For now, at least.

Lifting herself off the floor, she moved the short distance to the door.

When it slid open, she was more than surprised to find Reed standing before her.

"Lieutenant," she greeted with mild curiosity before she realized he was accompanied by a man she didn't recognize.

"May we come in?" The man asked.

She glanced at Reed. He made a vague gesture of a nod.

She shrugged and stepped aside.

Reed seemed reluctant but followed.

When they were standing in her quarters, she looked between the both of them, expectant and admittedly curious.

Reed shrugged and nodded to the other man. "Go on then, Liam," he said.

She turned to this Liam.

The man regarded her with a kind of awe she couldn't quite place.

"Ju'rohn, amaa," he muttered almost too low for her to hear.

Her brows furrowed and her mouth opened slightly in shock. That was Dunmeris. He'd spoken Dunmeris.

Then she registered what he'd said. *Hello, mother.*

Her eyes widened. The other ship.

"Na'…" She began tentatively. "Nah anga velkiras?" Was he her son?

He smiled. "Nei, amaa," he nodded, "a nani."

She was at a loss for words. Not for a moment had she thought she'd have kin on the other Enterprise. And now-

She looked him over. He looked healthy and strong. And decidedly Human.

She knew at once it was an illusion. All those on her world, even those of mixed races, always inherited the appearance of their mother. Her own father was an Imperial - very similar in appearance to the fair-skinned humans - yet not a thing about her hinted at it. Other than her surname.

"Quite the illusionist, aren't you?" She said with a soft smile.

He returned it. "I learned from the best."

She reached up and touched his face. She couldn't help but feel proud. Illusion magic was difficult. Maintaining a single spell exceptionally so. It had taken her nearly a decade to learn to hide her eyes. Her cursed, ice-facaded eyes.

The thought made her pause. Her stomach tightened with dread.

"Show me your eyes," she urged.

Liam gave her a soft smile. He undoubtedly knew what she meant. She wanted to see his real eyes, not the illusion he was projecting.

"Amaa," he said softly, holding her hands in his.

"Please," she nearly pleaded.

He nodded. "Okay."

She watched as the illusion faded. It took mere moments, but it felt like an eternity. In that time, all she could do was think of all the pain her curse had caused her. The thought of him suffering the same fate brought the threat of tears to her eyes.

When the illusion was finally gone, she found herself staring into a pair of blood-red eyes. Dunmer eyes.

They reminded her of her mother's. They were beautiful.

She let out a sigh of relief and couldn't stop her tears from running free. She embraced him and thanked Azura that he didn't share her curse.

"Juohn, Azura," she muttered. "Juohn."

When she pulled back, she realized he'd dropped his illusion entirely.

She smiled as she took a proper look at him. Definitely Dunmeri. But also somehow rather - not.

"Liam, is it?" She asked. "Whose bright idea was that?" She teased. The name wasn't Dunmeri. She supposed the idea had been his father's.

Liam laughed and glanced at Reed.

She followed his gaze, an amused smile on her face until she realized what his glance had meant.

Reed was leaning against the wall. His gaze was briefly stuck on Liam - on his eyes, undoubtedly.

After a moment he turned his attention to her. She figured she had quite the confused look on her face because he merely nodded and shrugged.

She looked between the two of them and, by Azura, she swore she could see the resemblance.

"B'vehk," she muttered.

* * *

_Ju'rohn, amaa_ \- hello, mother  
_Na'_ \- are…  
_Nah anga velkiras?_ \- are you my son?  
_Nei, amaa_ \- yes, mother  
_A nani_ \- I am  
_Juohn, Azura_ \- thank you, Azura  
_B'vehk_ \- by Vivec! ~ my god


End file.
